Port Coquitlam Finally Lands Midget Provincials

The Port Coquitlam Midget A1 Team captured the New Westminster
Herb House Tournament Championship in December on their way to playing
in their home ice for the Provincial Tournament from March 19 to 23.
(Courtesy of Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association)

Once the calendar turns to March, most Minor Hockey Leagues are
preparing for their League Tournaments. In British Columbia, Provincial
tournaments are beginning mid-March and wrapping up in the final weekend
of March. For the Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association, hosting a
Provincial Tournament is a long time coming.

Port Coquitlam Pirates Minor Hockey will be hosting the Midget Tier 2
Provincial Championship from March 19 to 23 at the Port Coquitlam
Wilson Centre Arena. This will be the very first time Port Coquitlam
Minor Hockey will be hosting the Midget Provincials and Port Coquitlam
Minor Hockey Association President Kim Egli is looking forward to
welcoming guests to the city of Port Coquitlam.

"This is our first opportunity to host Midget Provincials in our 50
years of existence as a minor hockey association," Egli said, "It will
create some wonderful memories and experiences for many youth from our
Provincial communities."

Teams from across British Columbia will be battling it out for
provincial bragging rights, but the champions and participating teams
are not the only ones who will be benefitting from the event.

"The tournament will bring many benefits to our association, teams,
local economy and businesses," Egli said, "Seven teams from all corners
of our province will be here competing for the championship prize and we
are excited for the competition to begin."

The tournament will be held at the Wilson Centre in Port Coquitlam
inside the Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex. It is a city-owned complex
that was renovated and expanded in 1999. The complex includes two
sheets of ice, a large multi-purpose hall, a meeting room, eight large
dressing rooms, a skate shop, and concessions.

Port Coquitlam is located 27 kilometres east of Vancouver and is
bounded on the South by the Mighty Fraser River, on the East by the Pitt
River, West by the Coquitlam River and by the Coastal Mountains to the
North. Tournament organizers have heavily relied on the community and
its local business to help finance the event.

"A tournament of this size cannot be successful without the financial
support from the local business community," Egli said. "Our volunteers
commit their time and energy in making our tournament one of the premier
events in minor hockey."

The tournament also marks only the second time in the history of Port
Coquitlam Minor Hockey that one of their own teams will be
participating in Provincials. The Midget A1 team is only second to the
Juvenile A1 team to participate, which was a qualifying participant
three seasons ago during the 2014-15 season.

While the participants will be headed to Port Coquitlam in about
three weeks, preparations are well underway and there is no doubt Egli
and the Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association will make sure there is
not another 50-year wait for their next Provincial Tournament hosting
gig.

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